by Jack Lee
Do you think that Senators and Congressmen should have a mandatory retirement age? 95% of the nation has one and for good reason. It’s all about productivity and competence. Many of our top elected represenatatives are well past what we would consider retirement age. In the Senate 58% are in their 60’s, 28% are into their 70’s, 5% are in their 80’s and one is 92 (Robert Byrd).
For some of them if they weren’t in Congress being ushered around by young staffers they would be in rest homes. Why should taxpayers have to be their babysitters? These octogenarians need another hobby in their old age, one that doesn’t cost us so much and one that isn’t so dangerous to our public good. You wouldn’t want to ride in a bus with a 92 year old driver at wheel, why in the heck would you want him for your Senator? Robert Byrd is driving the bus for hundreds of thousands of his constituents.
Both parties like to keep these long serving people around because they get a lot of value from their name recognition and seniority in committees, i.e., Ted Kennedy, and that means power. But power for the party, not the aged puppet. Because of their advanced age they are subject to easy manipulation; it’s why scammers target the elderly! Do you think there are any scammmers working the halls of Congress? You bet, and that means the guy you elected is not necessarily calling the shots anymore.
Between those elected officials that are busy selling us out for their own personal gain and our walking dead oldsters, it’s a wonder we haven’t imploded. What a mess.